At this time in the school year, students are very excited and we can all feel a little burned out! Try some of these classroom tips for effective teaching for a calmer, quieter learning environment.
Set Students up for Success
- Giving students clear instructions, including consequences, gives students agency to choose good behavior.
- Remember to use “I expect” statements. By clearly outlining what the expectations during an activity are, you are letting students know what your standards are.
Nonverbal Communication
I suggest waiting for silence. Stand where all students can see you and wait for students to take notice. If you have a particularly rowdy class, use a hand signal:
- Quiet Coyote: touch your middle and ring finger to your thumb with index and pinky fingers pointing up.
- Clap and Count: Clap your hands twice and put one finger up, signaling a first try. Wait a bit, then clap twice and put two fingers up so students who missed the first round can see this is your second attempt. Continue until all students are facing you.
I usually do this to three, but I have used it up to seven in some cases. This signal can also show a class how long you have waited.
Attention Getters
Encourage students to show you they’re ready in appropriate ways. “I say, You do” statements are a great way to get students’ attention without raising your voice. One of my favorites is “Catch a bubble.” When I say “Catch a bubble,” students blow their cheeks out like they have a bubble in their mouth.
Select a few “I say, You do” statements and rotate through those. Too many or new statements can be confusing.
Results They Can See
- Set a group goal for all students to work for. An elementary teacher of mine used a glass jar she had at the front of the classroom. When we were quiet or followed directions as a group, she dropped a few marbles into the jar. When the jar was full, we got a reward as a group, such as an hour of free play at the end of the day.
- Another visible reward system is the Kindness Board. When students are caught displaying positive behavior, the teacher writes the act down on a sticky note and sticks it on a board. Feel free to use names in this case, so students can claim their positive actions.
For more ideas, see this blog on Nine Tips for Teacher- and Student-Friendly Classroom Management.
How do you keep students on task? Please share your classroom management tips.
Contributing Writer
Karina Ruiz has four years of experience working with children for non-profit after-school programming for K–12 and four years of nanny work. She is currently a volunteer intern and attends California State University, Monterey Bay.
All teachers quickly learn that staying home sick is so much more work than just going to school! We’ve all gone into school on days when we know we should have stayed home. But what if it wasn’t so much work to stay home when you (or your children) were sick? It might make it just a little easier for you to pick up the phone and call in sick. We have pulled together our top three tips to help you prepare for that dreaded sick day. The key to these tips is reading them and following through right now… don’t put this one off for later. Preparing now will make your life simpler in the long run.
Jill McEldowney and Cathy Henry are neighbors and friends who both have significant experience teaching in the same large and diverse school district. Together, they developed and operate 
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Smart Start Sight Words
Once children are actively reading, the next critical step is getting them to understand the author’s role in a book.
After we read a book, it is always interesting to hear my students answer the question, “Why do you think this author wrote this book?”
The kids’ answers are always so completely honest that this is a question I enjoy asking children. At first, the answers are simple – to tell a story or share facts. But if you let children keep thinking, you will start to get answers like:
To me, these are priceless moments in teaching a child to fully comprehend a story.
The next question I ask students is, “When you think about the author’s voice in this book, why do you think she chose the words she did? Can you tell how he was feeling about this story?” Students will learn to think a little deeper about why the author wrote the book.
The last question I ask students is, “Is there a message that this author wants us to understand?” This last question will really require some thought, so be prepared to wait through the silence for them to think of an answer. It is usually worth the wait.
If I haven’t yet convinced you to teach your kids to understand the author’s role, this is one more brilliant reason: when students begin to evaluate the author’s role and voice, they will start to be more mindful when they are writing their own stories. Students will incorporate their own messages or memories to share, and they will improve the quality of their own writing.
I would love to hear from you about what your children are saying about an author’s message. Please leave a comment and share some of your kids’ brilliant insight.
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Theresa Wooler has more than 10 years’ experience in K–6 classrooms as a parent volunteer, has taught high school English, and is currently involved in education through Evan-Moor’s marketing communications team.